


the wasabi's hot and so are you

by coffeesuperhero



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-13
Updated: 2010-11-13
Packaged: 2017-10-13 04:45:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeesuperhero/pseuds/coffeesuperhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>Title:</b> the wasabi's hot and so are you<br/><b>Fandom:</b> Dollhouse<br/><b>Pairing:</b> Paul Ballard/Agent Tanaka<br/><b>Rating:</b> PG-13<br/><b>A/N:</b> According to my Google Docs, I started this story twenty months ago. I think it's about time to get it out of my WIP folder, yeah? There are no spoilers here, because I didn't even finish season one of Dollhouse, and this is a pre-series AU anyway. There's also some semi-public feeling-up going on. \o/<br/><b>Disclaimers:</b> This isn't for profit, just for fun (and because, as <a href="http://ninamazing.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://ninamazing.livejournal.com/"><b>ninamazing</b></a> and <a href="http://jadariver18.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://jadariver18.livejournal.com/"><b>jadariver18</b></a> know, Paul Ballard and Tanaka were totally an item). These characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, Fox Television and their various subsidiaries.</p>
    </blockquote>





	the wasabi's hot and so are you

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** the wasabi's hot and so are you  
>  **Fandom:** Dollhouse  
>  **Pairing:** Paul Ballard/Agent Tanaka  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **A/N:** According to my Google Docs, I started this story twenty months ago. I think it's about time to get it out of my WIP folder, yeah? There are no spoilers here, because I didn't even finish season one of Dollhouse, and this is a pre-series AU anyway. There's also some semi-public feeling-up going on. \o/  
>  **Disclaimers:** This isn't for profit, just for fun (and because, as [](http://ninamazing.livejournal.com/profile)[**ninamazing**](http://ninamazing.livejournal.com/) and [](http://jadariver18.livejournal.com/profile)[**jadariver18**](http://jadariver18.livejournal.com/) know, Paul Ballard and Tanaka were totally an item). These characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, Fox Television and their various subsidiaries.

Paul Ballard swept into the restaurant at half-past seven. Tanaka was already there, sitting at a table in the corner with his back to the door. Paul brushed his partner's shoulder lightly with his hand before moving to his seat and shrugging out of his suit jacket.

"Hey," Paul said, settling into the chair opposite Tanaka. "Sorry I'm late. The AD had some questions about our report." He glanced down at the plate in front of him. "Thanks for ordering for me."

"Don't worry about it," Tanaka said curtly. "I should know what you like by now." He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully at his partner, who blushed and avoided his haze.

"You're not eating?"

"You know I don't like fish," Tanaka said, and Paul's blush only deepened.

"Come on, just try it. You'll like it." Paul deftly grabbed a piece of unagi with his chopsticks and offered it to Tanaka. "Seriously, try it."

Tanaka glared at the piece of sushi like he was staring down a suspect. "No, thank you."

"Hey, I try new things for you," Paul said meaningfully, and Tanaka sighed.

"Fine," he sniped, "but when this makes me sick and the rest of your evening doesn't go as planned, don't blame me."

Paul rolled his eyes and set the eel down on his partner's plate. "I promise to take care of you if it does."

"Stop, you'll get my hopes up," Tanaka snarked, and popped the sushi into his mouth. "Hmm," he mused. "Not bad."

"You're actually admitting that you like it? Huh. I thought you'd spit it out."

"I can admit when I'm wrong. What's more, I don't spit," Tanaka murmured, taking a sip of his sake. "Not that you'd know."

Paul suddenly became very interested in his plate, and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Look, T, you've gotta give me some time."

"I guess the rest of _my_ evening isn't going as planned, then." Tanaka raised his hand, preempting Paul's defensive remarks. "No, no, take your time. I'll wait."

"Hope I'm worth it," Paul mumbled, spearing a piece of ginger. "Guess I'll owe you."

"Damn right, you'll owe me," Tanaka grinned, folding his hands together on the tabletop. "You can start by handing over another piece of that sushi."

Paul drew his lips to one side and plucked a gooey piece of volcano roll off his plate. He dipped it lightly in the soy-wasabi mixture and held it out to Tanaka. "Here. Try this one." He expected his partner to take the sushi with his chopsticks. Instead, eyes glittering with wicked delight, Tanaka pulled Paul's hand closer to his side of the table, then leaned up to close his mouth around the fish and the rice and Paul's fingers. "T--" Paul began, but shut up when Tanaka's teeth scraped the inside of his thumb. "Oh."

Tanaka wrapped his fingers around Paul's wrist, keeping it within his reach, then leaned back and swallowed the sushi. "I think that may be my favorite so far," he said, and proceeded to lick the remaining sauce from Paul's fingers.

"Yeah," Paul managed. "That's. Huh." He stretched his foot out and nudged tentatively at Tanaka's calf.

Tanaka raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's how you wanna play this?"

"No," Paul grunted, twining the toe of his dress shoe around Tanaka's ankle. "Not at all."

"Well," drawled his partner, reaching under the table and skimming a hand down Paul's calf, "maybe you should think about it."

Paul closed his eyes and slowly, reluctantly, pulled his leg away from Tanaka's fingers. "You do know we're in public."

"That's what makes it so fun," Tanaka told him, and grabbed the fabric of Paul's trousers, tugging Paul's leg back into his grasp.  



End file.
